


Put a Ring on It: LBD Tumblr Prompt Fic #1

by NightFeather



Series: LBD Tumblr Prompts [1]
Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-11
Updated: 2015-06-12
Packaged: 2018-04-04 00:06:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4119463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightFeather/pseuds/NightFeather
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lizzie Bennet was not one to shy away from things. Hardheaded, strong-hearted, she learned to fend for herself in the business world surrounded mostly by men. Lizzie Bennet was a strong woman to say the least, and could not be beaten down by a small little offense. Well, unless that offense was a ring that she wasn’t ready for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First fic in response to the tumblr prompts I got. This one: Darcy asks Lizzie to Marry him.

Lizzie Bennet was not one to shy away from things. Hardheaded, strong-hearted, she learned to fend for herself in the business world surrounded mostly by men. Lizzie Bennet was a strong woman to say the least, and could not be beaten down by a small little offense. Well, unless that offense was a ring that she wasn’t ready for.

 

***

 

            Lizzie, Lydia, and Gigi were having a girl’s night at Lizzie and Darcy’s place. Darcy was working late at the office and the girls found it the perfect opportunity to take over the house for a night of movies, chatting, and lots and lots of food. All three were currently inside Lizzie’s study/spare bedroom (Lizzie refused to take up a whole room for the sole purpose of doing work when there was a perfectly good double use for one), Lydia and Gigi chatting away while Lizzie was hunting inside the closet that stored still-packed boxes that had been neglected since her move into the Darcy residence months ago. She was looking for The Notebook, Lydia’s movie choice of the night, and a DVD she _knew_ she had. It was somewhere she just knew it. This was the third place she had looked and after trailing behind her like ducklings after a mama duck, Lydia and Gigi had decided to park themselves on the daybed across the room to chat. The current topic? Lizzie and Darcy.

            “Honestly, you’d think they’d have everything unpacked by now, it’s been _ALMOST A YEAR_ since she moved in. But that’s my sister for you,” Lydia said, emphasizing the length of time so her sister could hear her inside the walk-in closet.

            “It’s only been ten months and we’re busy people, Lydia!” Lizzie shouted from inside the closet, her voice muffled by the boxes and extra coats.

            “Whatevs, Darceface needs to put a ring on it so she has no reason but to unpack those boxes. I’m missing some movies and my favorite sweatshirt and I swear they’re inside those boxes!” Lydia said, yelling toward her sister again, but getting no response.

            Gigi was quiet, which was very much unlike her.

            Lydia looked at her. The darker-haired girl was staring at her lap, studying her hands, which were playing with the rings she wore. None of them meant much, but one of them had been her mother’s. Just like- no. She was keeping her mouth shut.

            “Gigi? Come on, you know I was joking, well, sort of. I’m just messing with Lizzie,”

            The younger Darcy looked up, “No, I know, it’s just-,” She looked behind her at the closet door, no sign of Lizzie, “Never mind,”

            Now Lydia was intrigued. Her eyebrows perked up and she sat up straighter, “No, no never mind here, what is it?” She asked.

            “Nothing,” Gigi said, shaking her head, “I’m going to go and make some popcorn,” She started to stand up but Lydia grabbed her wrist,

            “Gigi! Wait!” Lydia looked past Gigi at the closet door; still no sign of Lizzie. She could still hear her rummaging in the back of the closet.

            Lydia pulled Gigi back down so she was sitting on the bed again, “You can’t just leave, you need to tell me what’s up!” Lydia said.

            Gigi’s face fell; she knew she had no chance against _The_ Lydia Bennet. She was the queen of beating people down until they told her what she wanted to hear.

            “Fine, but you can’t tell Lizzie,” She checked over her shoulder again before turning back to her friend.

            “Well...?” Lydia prompted,

            “He _is_ going to put a ring on it,” Gigi said quietly. Her face crumpled, she felt incredibly awkward describing her brother’s plan to propose that way.

            “What?” Lydia asked, astonished.

            “He bought a ring-well, not really. It’s our mother’s he just had it fixed up and reset,”

            “Oh my god!” Lydia squealed, and Gigi’s face grew into a huge smile. Soon the two were fangirling over the wedding details, despite the fact that no proposal had happened yet. The two girls were so caught up in their conversation they had failed to notice a very pale, very stiff-looking Lizzie, holding the DVD she’d finally found, standing in the doorway of the closet. She had _been_ standing in the doorway of the closet for the past minute or so, having heard the entire conversation.

            “He what?” Lizzie said, her voice hollow and shaking.

            Gigi, not thinking clearly, repeated herself, “He bought a ring-,” Before she felt Lydia’s hand swat her arm in protest. Her eyes widened and she spun around to see Lizzie standing in front of the closet, holding the DVD, looking very un-Lizzie like.

            “Lizzie, I- you weren’t supposed to hear that...” Gigi started, and Lizzie formed a tight-lipped, half-smile.

            “No, no it’s fine, um, here-,” She stepped forward and handed the movie to Gigi, who took it carefully, “I’ll be right back, I’m just going to use the bathroom. You guys get started, I’ll be there in a minute,” And with that Lizzie briskly left the room.

            Gigi looked back at Lydia, who wore a concerned expression, worried.

            “Lydia?” Gigi asked,

            “Something’s not right, but I can’t put my finger on it,” Lydia said and then shook her head.

            “Never mind, let’s just start the movie,” The two made their way to the living room, passing the closed door to Lizzie and Darcy’s bedroom, not sure what to make of Lizzie’s response.

 

***

 

            Thirty minutes later, the two had almost all but forgotten the incident and were too engrossed in their movie to realize that Lizzie had yet to emerge from the bedroom.

            Meanwhile, Lizzie was busy packing. She had pulled out a small bag from the shelf on top of her closet inside her shared bedroom. It was almost full now; packed with the necessities she would need for at least a week. After a week, she told herself, she’d send Lydia over to get the rest of her things. Only a quick trip though, she didn’t want to tarnish this place with any more of the Bennet presence than necessary.

            Once she was finished packing in the last few things, she zipped up the bag, pulled on her coat and grabbed the letter she’d written when she had first entered the room. She was quite efficient really; it only took her thirty minutes to prepare to essentially leave William’s life forever.

            She grabbed the bag and swung it over her shoulder. Taking in a shaky breath, she opened the door and made her way down the hallway toward the living room and entryway.

            She saw her sister and Gigi engrossed in the movie, each scooping their hand into the popcorn bowl one after the other, too enthralled to even notice her presence. ‘Good,” She thought, “If Gigi doesn’t notice, hopefully it’ll take William some time too,”

            She was just taking the few steps from the living room arch to the kitchen when she heard keys in the door. She heard the movie pause and some rustling from the couch.

            Lizzie made a move to set the letter on the kitchen island when she heard her younger sister’s voice from behind her,

            “Lizzie? What are you doing? What’s the bag for?” Lydia asked incredulously.

            She turned around and looked at her sister, her eyes pinching with the anticipation of tears for the first time that night.

            “Oh my god,” Gigi said, and suddenly the door opened, “Are you leaving?” Gigi’s voice echoed through the apartment and the three of them turned toward the door as they heard the footsteps of someone entering.

            “Who’s leaving?” Darcy asked, still standing in the doorway, confused. Lizzie squeezed her eyes shut, cursing to herself. Lizzie opened her eyes to three confused and questioning faces. She took a deep breath and Gigi stepped forward,

            “Is this about what you heard before? If it is, I’m so, so sorry, please don’t leave-,” Gigi babbled.

            “What? What did you hear? You’re leaving? Lizzie, what’s going on?

            Lizzie closed her eyes for a beat again before reopening them. She stepped toward William and handed him the letter.

            “Don’t worry,” She said, looking toward Gigi and then back to William, “You don’t have to worry about me anymore,”

            Lizzie pushed past William, who dropped his briefcase and turned around, trying to catch her arm but she was too quick.

            “Lizzie, wait! What’s going on?” But he couldn’t see her anymore; all he heard was the slam of the door leading to the stairs.

            He spun around again, this time to face a crying Gigi and a stark looking Lydia.

            “I’m so sorry, William, it’s all my fault,” Gigi said through her tears.

            Darcy, still confused ripped open the letter and scanned the words quickly. Eyes wide, he looked up at his sister a few moments later. He looked back at the open door, then to the entryway, lacking Lizzie, and then back to his sister.

            “Gigi-,” He started, his tone unreadable.

            Lydia, in the meantime, had grabbed all of her things, shoving them into her purse. She was tugging on her shoes when Darcy seemed to finally notice her presence.

            Seeing the familiar red hair seemed to spring him into action, he threw the letter on the table that sat in the hall and ran his hands through his perfectly coifed hair, mussing it. He looked at Gigi and then at Lydia who was now making her way toward him.

            “I have to stop her,” William said, mostly to himself. Lydia was now in front of him. She placed her hand on his shoulder, “I need you to listen to me,” William nodded, his eyes searching her face for an answer as to what to do, “If you love her,” He nodded, “If you really love her, you’ll stay here. Let me talk to her first, and I’ll let you know when to come. She just needs time, I know my sister,”

            “But-,” Lydia looked to Gigi, who had now composed herself, for help.

            “William, just stay, listen to Lydia,”

            He looked back at the other Bennet sister and nodded, closing his mouth.

            Lydia gave them both a small smile and swiftly made her way out the door, opting for the stairs just as her sister had, leaving behind two very confused Darcy’s and on the hunt for one very confused Bennet.


	2. Part 2.

After a series of phone calls, some successful, others sent directly to voicemail, checking at the Pemberley offices as well as her own apartment, Lydia figured there was only one last obvious place Lizzie could have gone: Home.

            Their parents had sold their childhood home the previous year before moving into a cozy little condo within the same town that the Bennet girls had grown up in. Lydia figured Lizzie was headed that way and decided to follow her, making the six-hour drive back to her childhood hometown.

            Hours later it was dark and when she pulled into the driveway of her parent’s condo there was only one light on that she could see. Lydia got out of her little sedan and stretched, the drive hadn’t been bad, just long, and it was worth it to go after her sister.

            Yawning, Lydia made her way up the short sidewalk that led to the front door. Before she could ring the bell or knock, the door opened quietly, revealing a tired but smiling Mr. Bennet.

            “Goose,” Mr. Bennet said, smiling at his youngest daughter. Lydia returned the smile at the sound of her childhood nickname. She hadn’t been called that in ages.

            “Hi, Dad,” Lydia said, reaching out to give him a hug. After a few seconds in an embrace, Mr. Bennet released his daughter and gestured to the stairs.

            “Your sister is upstairs in the guestroom, your mother is asleep though, and so I’m afraid you’ll have to be pretty quiet. She’s already had quite the day having had her daughter show up on her steps unexpected,”

            Lydia forced a smile; it was clear that her dad knew there was more to the story but wasn’t too keen on letting Mrs. Bennet know all of the juicy details.

            “Thanks, Dad, I’ll fill you in later,” Lydia said before quietly padding up the stairs and down the hall to the guestroom.

 

***

 

            “Lizzie?” Lydia knocked on the door to the guestroom quietly, calling her sister’s name. She got no response. She knocked once more with the same result, and, after an internal battle with herself over whether or not she was invading privacy, she decided to just open the door because Lizzie was her sister and she needed sister time right now.

            She quietly entered the dark room and shut the door behind her.

            “Lizzie?” She tried again, this time hearing some rustling from the guest bed.

            Lydia flicked on the light and heard a groan come from the bed. She looked over and saw her older sister curled into a little ball on top of the covers. She was wearing one of her old sweatshirts from the high school they’d all gone to and her hair was in a bun.

            Lizzie rolled over to look at her little sister, “Hey,” She said quietly. Her voice was rough, like she had been crying.

            Lydia sat down on the bed as her sister sat up, laying her head down on her shoulder.

            “You wanna talk about it?” Lydia asked. She heard her sister take in a shaky breath and wipe her hand under her eye, “No, but I think I have to. I mean you drove down all this way-,”

            “Don’t even worry about it. I came because I knew you needed someone and I’m happy to be that someone,”

            Lizzie wrapped her arm around her sister’s shoulder, leaning into her.

            “How mad are they?” Lizzie asked quietly, her voice meek.

            “They aren’t mad, just worried and confused. Gigi feels really, really bad, she honestly didn’t mean to say anything, it was my fault, really, for initiating the conversation,”

            “And him?” Lizzie asked again, her voice even smaller.

            “Concerned. He cares about you, Lizzie, he really does, and he would do anything for you. He didn’t mean to scare you away,”

            Lizzie pursed her lips and sat up straight, pushing herself off of the bed.

            She began pacing around the room, her arms crossed, thinking to herself. Finally, after a few minutes of silence, she looked up at Lydia, her face sheepish.

            “So it probably just seems stupid that I ran away, doesn’t it?” She said.

            Lydia’s face worked up into a worried expression, “No, Lizzie, it wasn’t stupid. You did what felt right; you just need to figure some things out. You need time, they-he gets that,”

            Lizzie was silent for a moment before her voice burst through the quiet haze that had settled in the room.

            “It’s just- I’m not ready!” Lizzie exclaimed, “Marriage is a HUGE thing! We’ve barely even talked about it. We’ve only been together a year and a half and we’re both so busy and oh my god I can’t even imagine getting married. I just-I-I’m not good with these things! I mean look how long it took to get us together; we _hated_ each other to begin with, what would happen, what would I do if we ever got in a huge fight? You saw me! I ran away this time, what happens when we’re married and I get scared again? I can’t run away, not that I’d want to, I mean I love him, I just I can’t even imagine-I’m just not ready, and oh my god it’s his mother’s ring and-,”

           “Lizzie,” Lydia interrupted.

           Lizzie looked over at Lydia from where she was standing in the middle of the room. One hand on her hip, the other on her forehead, she looked anything but calm, yet she looked to her sister for guidance.

            “Lizzie,” Lydia said again, “Do you even realize what you just said?” She asked. Lizzie looked at her, confused.

            Lydia shifted on the bed, crossing her legs. “You said you loved him. You love him, and to me that’s enough. You don’t have to figure anything out right now, no one is in a rush. But you love him and he loves you. That’s enough. You just need to talk to him, work things out, and tell him what you told me. It’s Darcy, he’s nothing to be afraid of, and he’s not going to pressure you into anything you’re not ready for,”

            Lizzie stared at her sister for a moment. Since when had she become so wise? After a few beats Lizzie nodded and began to pace again. She ran her hands over her face, covering her eyes.

            “You’re right, my god, Lydia you’re right,” Lizzie said, pacing the room.

            Lydia smiled to herself, “It happens sometimes,”

            Lizzie didn’t even look up; instead she moved her hands from her eyes to her forehead.

            “Oh god. I need to talk to him; what did I do? I’m so stupid, running away from my problems. God, how could I think that I could just throw away the best thing that’s ever happened to me? I need to talk to him, Lydia, hand me my phone?”

            Lydia obliged, finding the small device resting happily on top of the sheets and handing it over to her sister.

            Lizzie studied the screen, most likely looking at the series of texts and calls she’d ignored earlier. She tapped the screen a few times before holding the phone up to her ear,

            “Will? It’s Lizzie. We need to talk”.

 


	3. Part 3.

            It’s two A.M. nearing three when Lizzie hangs up the phone.

            She rolls her lips together, staring at her phone before she looks up at Lydia.

           “He’s at Netherfield,” She said.

           “What?” Lydia asks.

           “He said he couldn’t wait any longer having not heard anything and he booked the earliest flight down here he could. He’s been at Netherfield for a few hours now waiting for a call”.

            “You did well, Lizzie. He really loves you,”

            Lizzie rolled her lips again and took a deep breath. “Yeah, he really does,”

            She grabbed her coat and shoes, and Lydia followed her down the stairs, careful of their creaking. The light was still on downstairs but there was no longer any sign of their father. He must’ve gone to bed finally, knowing that whatever needed to happen, would.

            Lizzie slipped on her shoes and zipped up her coat before looking over at her sister. Her sister, who was standing there in an old hoodie and leggings, her hair pulled into a ponytail, and her bangs in her eyes. Her sister who loved her so much and cared about her so much that she drove six hours to follow her and make sure she was okay.

            Lizzie suddenly reached forward and wrapped Lydia in a tight squeeze.

            Surprised, Lydia stepped back, causing the two of them to stumble a bit, before hugging her sister back.

            “What’s the sudden sisterly love for?” Lydia asked.

           “Just-Thank you, Lydia,” Lizzie said as she let go of her sister.

           “You’re my sister, it’s what we do. Bennets stick together, remember?”

           Lizzie smiled and gave her sister one last look before taking a deep breath and making her way out into the cool night air.

 

***

 

            Lizzie walked the three blocks to Netherfield with her hands stuffed in her pockets, following the sidewalk that was bathed in the yellow light from the street lamps. She walked briskly, wanting to give herself as little time as possible to rethink her decision to go to Netherfield.

            Soon enough, she was at the front door of the estate, giving a gentle knock on the door. After a moment, the large door opened, revealing a one Mr. William Darcy in his pajamas with a jacket thrown over top.

            “Let’s go out back to the guesthouse, we won’t wake anyone up and we won’t have to stand outside in the cold.

            Lizzie nodded and followed Darcy on the paved path back to the guesthouse. She was still marveling in the vastness of the Netherfield property when they arrived at the door, Darcy pushing it open waiting to follow her inside.

            Once they were settled with two cups of tea resting on the coffee table that sat beside the couch they were sitting on there were a few moments of awkward, tense silence before Lizzie piped up.

            “Will, I- I’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have just left like that,”

            “No, you shouldn’t have,” Darcy, said and Lizzie shook her head in surprise, she didn’t _not_ expect Will to stand up for himself, but it wasn’t the first thing on her list of expectations for this conversation.

            “You should have talked to me first, Lizzie, I was worried about you. All you gave me was a letter and half of a goodbye, I didn’t know where you were going or why!” Will said, his voice raising.

            He stood up, “Hell, Lizzie I didn’t even know if you were coming back!” He yelled. He turned to her, pinching the bridge of his nose.

            “I’m sorry, Lizzie, I shouldn’t have shouted,”

            “No,” She said quietly, her voice low, “You had every right to. I ran away like a little kid, and I deserved that”.

            “Lizzie-,” Will started.

            “No,” Lizzie stood up, pulling him down to the couch to sit across from her, “It’s my turn to talk,”

            Will closed his mouth, content to listen.

            “Will, I’m not ready for marriage,” Lizzie said, “I’m only twenty-seven and while my mother would have liked me hitched five years ago, I’m just not ready,”

            “I’m sorry I ran, but I got scared. Gigi was saying all of these things about you getting a ring and then that it was your mother’s and that you had it reset and it was all just too much. I felt like I had so many expectations to fulfill, and I just am not ready to take that step yet,”

            “I love you, Will. I really do, and I want to be with you, but you have to understand that while I do want to marry you, it’s a someday thing not a tomorrow thing,” Lizzie finished, looking at her lap.

            “Lizzie,” Will said. Lizzie didn’t respond.

            He reached out and tucked his fingers under her chin, lifting her head up so she was looking him in the eye.

            “Lizzie, I love you,” He said, and she couldn’t help but smile.

            “I love you and all of your mistakes, worries, and shortcomings because I have them too,” Lizzie released the breath she was holding.

            “And I get it, you’re not ready, I’m okay with that because I love you,”

            Will shifted on the couch so he was now holding her hands in his.

            “And I want you to know that I want to marry you, not today, not tomorrow, but someday, alright?” He asked.

            Lizzie smiled at her lap and looked up at Will, a piece of her red hair falling out of her bun and into her eyes.

            “Alright?” Will asked again,

            “Alright,” Lizzie agreed.

            Will pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, placing a kiss on top of her head. They would wait, because being ready meant the most to both of them. The ring would just have to wait.


End file.
